Attorney general candidates divided over McCollum lawsuit

Sunday

Mar 28, 2010 at 12:01 AMMar 28, 2010 at 7:45 AM

While state Cabinet races don't attract the attention that a U.S. Senate or gubernatorial contest does, candidates for attorney general got to weigh in this week on a critical national issue that they may have to handle.

By Lloyd DunkelbergerTallahassee Bureau

While state Cabinet races don't attract the attention that a U.S. Senate or gubernatorial contest does, candidates for attorney general got to weigh in this week on a critical national issue that they may have to handle.The topic was current Attorney General Bill McCollum's decision to sue the federal government over the new health care law. McCollum, a Republican running for governor, filed suit alleging the law is unconstitutional in part because of the mandate that every Floridian will have to have insurance or face fines and penalties.Not surprisingly, the candidates divided along party lines.Former state Rep. Holly Benson, a Pensacola Republican, is well-versed on health care. She is a former health care chairman in the state House and headed the state agency that oversees Florida's $19 billion Medicaid program.Benson said she "wholeheartedly" supports McCollum's challenge."I believe Floridians and all Americans want meaningful health care solutions that control costs and increase access to quality care, but socialized medicine is not the best way to accomplish it," she said.In contrast, state Sen. Dave Aronberg, a Democrat from Palm Beach County, is a former assistant attorney general and condemned McCollum's move as a political ploy."Unfortunately, this once great office has been politicized by an attorney general who is diverting its limited resources to fighting a national political battle that plays to his partisan base," he said.Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, a Republican, said he supports the lawsuit, saying he was the first candidate to endorse McCollum's challenge. "By mandating that individuals purchase health care, the government is essentially levying a 'living tax' on the citizens of this great country," Kottkamp said, echoing McCollum's criticism of the law.Pam Bondi, a Republican prosecutor from Hillsborough County, also endorsed McCollum's lawsuit, calling the health care law a "great danger." She said she would "vigorously continue the fight" if the lawsuit was still pending and she was in office.State Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, a former federal prosecutor, said he was "outraged" but "not surprised" by McCollum's action. He said McCollum has "a pattern of blocking health care," citing his defense of a Medicaid lawsuit that alleges Florida is woefully underpaying physicians who treat children.

A proposed law that would have forced all Florida restaurants to post the number of calories in food dishes has died.The bill, by Rep. Ed Homan, R-Tampa, was never taken up by the committees that could have passed it along to the full Legislature for a vote.But that doesn't mean dining out around here will be totally guilt free.The new federal health reform act says that big chains like Olive Garden, Burger King, Starbucks and Subway have to post calorie counts starting in 2011.The federal law applies to any restaurant group with over 20 establishments.The state association said mom-and-pops couldn't afford new menus and the technical assistance needed to calculate calories.Compiled from reports by Lloyd Dunkelberger of the Tallahassee Bureau and Anna Scott of the Herald-Tribune in Sarasota.